Carry on
by FemaleSpock
Summary: After Artegor is forced to go on a double date, with some random friend of Adium's and Aarch/Adium, he starts something that he then can't stop. Onesided Aarch/Artegor.


Carry on

**Disclaimer: I do not own Galactik Football and I make no money from this fic.**

**I was writing the next chapter of 'A future that never happened' and I had some minor trouble with it so what happens? A random Aarch/Artegor ideas pops into my head and begs to be written (this seems to be happening to me all the time nowadays). It's set sometime whilst Aarch and Artegor were still on the Akillian time; pre-ice age. **

Aarch burst into the room that he and Artegor shared and rushed in to speak to Artegor who was sitting on the floor, watching the highlights of an old match.

"Artegor!" he exclaimed loudly "I need a favour!" Aarch came and sat down next to Artegor on the floor, Artegor paused the TV.

"No need to shout, what's the favour?" he asked, despite suspecting that he wouldn't be able to refuse, even if it were completely outrageous, it was just the effect that Aarch had on him.

"Well, you see Adium has this friend," Aarch started, trying to pitch it so that that he could get Artegor to agree "and her friend has been really down recently and her friend wanted to hang out with Adium tomorrow night but Adium and I are going on a date tomorrow night so we invited the friend along. But you see the friend really doesn't want to be a third wheel as that would be awkward...so...will you come along and be her date?" Aarch's story wasn't strictly true, Adium's friend wasn't really upset about anything really, and she just had a massive crush on Artegor. But there was no way that Artegor would have agreed if he had told him that and Adium had made it clear to Aarch that he needed to get Artegor on board for a double date (Adium could be scary, there was no way Aarch would risk disagreeing with her) .

"Can't you find someone else?" Artegor asked, he really didn't want to go and have to watch Aarch and Adium together whilst having to pretend he liked some girl. Just the thought of it hurt, it wasn't deliberate on Aarch's part of course, Artegor had been trying so hard to hide his feelings that he couldn't blame Aarch for not knowing about them.

"Come on, Artegor, this could be your chance! You never know, she could end up being your girlfriend." As usual Aarch managed to inadvertently say the exact wrong thing.

"I don't want a girlfriend," Artegor said flatly.

"Don't be shy," Aarch said, interpreting the statement as if Artegor were merely nervous instead of lacking in interest "girls aren't scary at all. You just need to get used to dating and this is the perfect chance."

"I'm not scared of girls!"

"Good! Come on, you never know, Adium's friend might be just perfect for you!"

Artegor internally sighed, Aarch suited him perfectly, if only Aarch would just realise.

Aarch noticed that Artegor was not looking convinced so he changed tack.

"Please! As a favour to me," he said, hitting on the only thing he could say that could possibly get Artegor to agree.

Artegor thought for a minute before giving his answer. He really didn't want to go. Still under the intensity of Aarch's begging eyes made him reluctantly give in.

"Fine, but only as a favour to you."

"Thank you! I'm sure you'll have a great time!"

Artegor was already regretting having said yes.

The next night and Aarch and Artegor were as ready to go (well, Artegor was as ready he could be, he'd mentally prepared himself for the evening to be torturous). Aarch had made a big fuss about his appearance (he'd only been going out with Adium for a couple of weeks so he still needed to look his best) whereas Artegor had done brushed his hair and that was all. After all he didn't care what Adium's friend (whose name he still didn't know) thought of him. There was a knock on Aarch's door. Aarch turned to Artegor and said "this is it!" before opening the door to reveal Adium and the other girl.

"Hi," Adium said, stepping into the room, her friend following nervously, Adium walked over to Aarch and pointed "this is Aarch."

Aarch smiled and said "hi."

Adium then pointed at Artegor "this is Artegor, Artegor this is my friend Ran'em."

"Nice to meet you, Artegor," Ran'em said, giggling nervously. The sound set Artegor's teeth on edge.

"It's my pleasure," he replied, flatly and insincerely. She didn't seem to notice though and took it as encouragement to laugh even more. He already could tell this night was going to be just as bad as he had envisioned.

They had decided (well, Adium had decided) to go to see a film first and then go eat at some burger joint. The film was bearable, he wasn't expected to do or say anything, he just had to watch mindlessly. He tried to concentrate but his mind kept wandering. He tried to keep his eyes on the screen but they kept drifting over to Aarch. At one point Aarch had put his hand around Adium's shoulder. The sight of it sent shock waves of pain throughout Artegor's body but he couldn't tear his eyes away. He kept waiting for Aarch to pull his arm away, he knew it wouldn't happen, but he just kept hoping it would. His only consolation was that Aarch didn't go any further.

In the Burger bar things got worse. Adium monopolised Aarch's conversation and Artegor seemed to be expected to talk to Ran'em.

"So, how do you like being a professional footballer?" Ran'em asked, blushing, acting as it she had asked the most personal question in the world.

"Football is my life, I'm glad that I got this job," he answered mechanically.

"He's not kidding," Aarch added in "football is our life."

"Speak for yourself," Adium said with emphasis "some of us like to be more well rounded. Life is not just about football."

Aarch and Artegor exchanged a look at this comment. To Artegor it seemed like a sign; it clearly showed that he, not Adium, was more suited to Aarch. But the moment passed and Aarch fixed his attention back onto Adium.

"So Artegor," Ran'em said, falling back on tried and true tactics of making conversation "do…you...um...have any siblings?"

"No," he said shortly.

"Oh, I have a brother, an older one. You are lucky you don't have any siblings, he's really annoying. This one time...he um...threw all of my stuffed toys out the window...I was so upset, I cried for about 2 hours because they got dirty. But my Mum put them in the washing machine so it was fine. This was when I was 5, by the way, I don't still have stuffed toys," she babbled, blushing a deep red colour.

Artegor just nodded. He couldn't believe this girl, how stupid was she? She could barely string a sentence together.

After what seemed like an eternity the night was finally over. Aarch and Artegor said goodbye to the girls and then went back to their room.

"Well?" Aarch inquired.

"Well what?" Artegor said irritably.

"How did you like Ran'em? You going to see her again?" he asked pleasantly.

Artegor just glared in response. How could Aarch not see; he'd been in hell the whole night (all thought of he was fair, he would admit that it was more about seeing Aarch and Adium together than about the girl).

"I'll take that as a no, then?"

"Yes you will," Artegor said, angrily.

Aarch smiled "okay, so maybe she's not the girl for you, but at least it was an experience."

Artegor wanted to slap Aarch, he wished he could just show Aarch how he felt; he wanted to reach out; to touch Aarch. He wanted anything to give him any sense of hope.

"There is no girl for me!" he said, knowing that Aarch wouldn't get the implications behind the statement.

Aarch did as predicted and just said "someday you'll meet someone who'll change your views."

"What's so special about Adium anyway?" he burst out, immediately regretting it. He didn't want to hear Aarch blabbering on about how wonderful Adium was. Still some part of him wanted to know, he wanted to understand what Adium had that he didn't.

"Well..." Aarch said considering it for a moment "she's a footballer so we can talk about football. She's been my friend for a long time; it just made sense that we would go out."

From what Aarch had said, Artegor couldn't see any reason that he would prefer Adium to him. After all he was a footballer and he had been Aarch's friend for just as long (in fact he should have come in ahead, he was Aarch's best friend).

"Right," his lack of conviction was evident to Aarch.

"Why? What's wrong with Adium?" Aarch asked in response.

"Nothing, I didn't say anything was wrong with her," Artegor raised his hands in a gesture of innocence.

"So what did you mean then?"

"Well," Artegor said, stalling for a minute for time "it just seems like...you don't even like her that much..."

"We've only been going out for a couple of weeks! Besides I'm just having fun, it's not supposed to be all heavy commitment when you are young," Aarch said, shrugging.

Artegor couldn't help but take this a little bit of encouragement. So Aarch wasn't smitten with Adium. He couldn't help but feel he had a small window of opportunity. Maybe Aarch would want to have fun with him, even though he wanted more than that, he would take anything from Aarch.

"Well..." he said leadingly again, knowing Aarch would take the bait. He had before even when Artegor hadn't even been planning anything. Artegor's heart was beating wildly, he couldn't believe he was actually trying to have this conversation, but now that he was here he knew he couldn't not have it. He wanted to know for once and for all where he stood.

"Just spit out whatever it is that you have to say!" Aarch responded in frustration.

"Adium's so bossy," he started "I just think that you could do better."

Aarch looked at him in confusion "you know of anyone better?" He asked not even addressing Artegor's point about Adium being bossy; he knew that it was true after all.

Artegor looked away, feeling the intensity of Aarch's eyes on him, "maybe."

"Who is it?" Aarch asked, intrigued.

Artegor took a deep breath but couldn't say it, he just couldn't it would ruin everything. So he went for the cop out option.

"That person doesn't want me to tell you."

Aarch looked even more interested at that point "come on, I won't tell them you told me," he wheedled.

Aarch continued to plead but Artegor refused to budge. He's completely lost his nerve. It was safer just not to say anything.

"Can you tell me who it is now?" Aarch asked, the next day, whilst they were eating lunch.

"What? No! Why would things have changed any?" Artegor was really regretting having brought it up. He had a feeling that Aarch was going to keep bugging him about it until he eventually forgot about it.

"I don't know! Why can't I know?"

"Because they don't want you to know. They think that you would hate them if they knew about their feelings." Artegor hoped that this would shut up Aarch.

"I wouldn't, it's not as if people can help their feelings," Aarch said, earnestly before realising something, "so is it someone that I know then?"

Artegor took some comfort from the statement; Aarch wouldn't hate him. "It's someone you know. That's why it would be awkward if you knew."

Aarch wisely knew to change the subject then, it was easier to get information out of Artegor gradually than all at once. What he didn't understand was why Artegor was protecting this person, he couldn't really think of anyone close enough to Artegor to tell him something that was clearly a massive secret, Artegor wasn't exactly the friendliest guy.

"You know," Aarch said, that night, when they were both in their beds "I think I would be very flattered if I knew who this person with the crush on me was."

Artegor didn't reply; he hoped that Aarch would just assume that he had fallen asleep. Instead he seemed to take this as encouragement to carry on talking.

"How will I know whether I like them better than Adium if I don't know who they are?"

"Just drop it," Artegor said, wishing he would just stop. It was hard enough to keep how he felt a secret without having Aarch question him every ten minutes. Again he felt the impulse to just confess. And yet again he squashed it. He wondered how long he could last in purgatory.

Aarch sighed and rolled over to go to sleep. He was going to get this out of Artegor whatever it took.

A week later....

"So you going to tell me yet?" Aarch said, still not dropping it.

"No!" Artegor repeated for what seemed like the millionth time.

"Give me one reason why not."

"I've told you; he doesn't want you to know!" Artegor burst out. As confusion spread over Aarch's face, turning into complete shock, Artegor realised what he had said. He'd said 'he'. He couldn't take this back now.

"Aarch..." he said, feeling faint and far away.

"A guy?" Aarch asked, in a little bit of disbelief.

"This is why you shouldn't know," Artegor said, trying desperate to conceal his absolute heartbreak. He couldn't describe how he felt at that moment.

"I'm going out for a walk," Aarch said, looking a little worried.

"Okay." Artegor's voice was so quiet that Aarch couldn't have heard it as he walked away.

And Artegor was left alone. It seemed he would always be alone. White noise was flooding his world. Aarch didn't know it was him but it didn't matter. Aarch didn't want him. Aarch would never love him. Harsh reality crashed through Artegor in waves. He couldn't take this anymore. He was finally in hell and he hated it.

He didn't want to speak to Aarch when he got back so he went to bed. He didn't sleep though, he was in too much anguish to do anything except lie there and think. Aarch came back into the room about an hour later. The sounds of Aarch's footsteps made Artegor want to cry. He didn't though; he didn't want Aarch to hear him.

When he woke up in the morning (he somehow managed to get a couple of hours sleep) Aarch had already gone, for extra-training probably.

He managed to drag himself out of bed. He couldn't stay here. He had to face the day. Next to his bed was a folded white piece of paper with 'Artegor' written on it. It seemed Aarch had left him a note. With a heavy heart he unfolded the note (a tiny part of him still hoped, despite everything, that it be some reciprocal confession) and read the page.

_Artegor,_

_We have been friends for a very long time and I want you to know that I understand the feelings that you have for me. It's okay, I don't hate you, you are my best friend. I'm sorry but I just can't return your feelings. I just don't feel that way about you. I'm sorry._

_Aarch._

Artegor read it with horror. It was all the things that he had feared in one thin slip of paper. Just when he had thought that he could never feel any more pain here was the worst to put the last nail into his coffin.

He felt completely lost but he got ready and went to training. He would continue. He would pretend that it had never happened. He would be friends with Aarch. What else could he do?

**The end…poor Artegor…please review!**


End file.
